Steps One Shots (ish)

Lesson in Ladyship (part 4)

When Faye, Elizabeth, Ian and Clarabella returned from their walk, Angus and William told them all that they were having a dinner together later and that Elizabeth may like to go home with her brother to prepare. When they had gone Angus called his eldest daughter into his study, and Faye bit her lip nervously but followed him anyway. Ian and Clarabella, knowing what had happened the last time their father had met with Faye, decided they'd go up in a moment once the other two were settled, and wait outside the study for Faye to come back out.

"Fayre, it appears that you have attracted the attention of a local young man." Angus told her.
"Good for him." She retorted. Being in the company of Elizabeth had put her in a much better mood temporarily, but now she was having to talk to her father it had already worn off.
Angus shook his head. "It is someone I thought you quite like. Or at least you certainly used to like him and his sister."
"Let me guess he's the son of... wait... I was never really friends with most of them, that was Ian. You don't mean to say that was what William wanted to talk with you about?" Faye replied, gasping as she realised.
Her father nodded. "He has the intention that you shall marry once you are old enough, and that in the meanwhile you may live with him and his sister."
"While being away for months at a time at that school? What's the point? Do you just not want me to spend time with Clarabella and Ian ever?" She retorted.
"Take a deep breath Faye and just listen to me for a moment." Angus said.
She nodded, and perched herself on the chair nearest the door.
"You've always been my favourite child. I don't expect this to make it better, but I've always wanted what was best for you. I only sent you away in the first place to make it seem like I was making an effort at making you be a normal woman, and instead it just made you hate me. But I knew you were strong enough to survive there, and if I'd ever doubted it I'd of never sent you away. You're my bundle of fluff with a heart of fire." Angus told her. "If it helps you decide if you'd like to take Master Scott-Lee's offer up, he wants you to never have to go back to the school, as I do."
Without realising Faye had started biting at the sides of her fingernails. "I was angry because I thought you only cared about how other people saw you, though less so now. I'd love to take up William's offer, so long as you are happy with that."
"I am, though I have one question. You'd still visit would you not?" Angus asked.
"Of course I would for Clarabella and Ian most of all but I suppose with time for you and mama too."
He smiled and took Faye into a hug. "My beautiful grown-up girl." He told her.
She blushed. "Thank you father."

After a while longer of talking about her prospective future with Lee, she left his study and saw her siblings waiting outside. When Ian had identified that she didn't seem sad, he wasted no time in shooting her a cheeky grin. Faye laughed, causing Clarabella to smile too. She invited them to come back to her room, because after being at finishing school for so long, it felt almost wrong to Faye to talk so publicly about herself in the hallway.
"What did he want to talk with you about?" Ian asked, when they made it to her room.
"William has asked if he can marry me when I'm old enough, and would like for me to live with him whenever I'm ready." Faye told them with a grin. "Isn't it the most wonderful news?"
"But that means you'll... you'll be away forever!" Clarbella replied.
Faye bit her lip. It had occurred to her that her soft younger sister would be upset by the idea of her leaving home, but she still hadn't really prepared for it. "Yes but I'll only be at Kittivale Hall, you could come visit whenever you wanted Clara. It'd be much better than me being sent away to that school again."
"I suppose there is that." Clarabella took her sister into a tight hug. "But I shall still miss you terribly."
Ian looked at his sisters, then shrugged and decided he might as well join in with the hugging. "If it counts for anything I'll miss you too."
Faye sighed. "Yes. You could come visit too." She told him.
Though he knew she couldn't see, he smiled.
"You know I love you both anyway right?" Faye asked, trying her best to slip her free arm around Ian. "And just because I'm going away to someday marry Lee doesn't mean I'll love either of you any less."
"Still! I want to hug you now just in case." Clarabella retorted.
Faye couldn't help but smile, and realised that so long as she could still see her siblings almost whenever she pleased she'd be the happiest person on earth. She didn't vocalise her thought though, worried that would get her teased by Ian forever more, and just let them both hug her a while longer. And she enjoyed the moment, partly because for so long she'd been unable to hug them both, partly because she was so happy anyway, and partly because she adored them.